Helmut Marko has provided an update on Red Bull’s discussions with Carlos Sainz concerning a potential move for the 2025 season.
Marko disclosed that Red Bull is in talks with Sainz regarding a possible transition for 2025. However, he noted that they won’t be able to match the “lucrative offer” presented by Audi.
Sainz finds himself without a confirmed drive for the 2025 F1 campaign, with one less option available following Fernando Alonso’s recent announcement of joining Aston Martin.
Despite Alonso’s move, Sainz remains connected to Red Bull, should they opt to replace Sergio Perez, and also to Mercedes, as an alternative to their protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Nevertheless, it appears Audi emerges as the frontrunner in Sainz’s considerations, as they express a keen interest in replacing both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Marko, in an interview with the Kleine Zeitung, acknowledged the ongoing discussions with Sainz while shedding light on Audi’s substantial offer.
“We are talking to him, he is having his best season in Formula 1, but he has a very lucrative offer from Audi and we cannot match or beat that,” Marko stated.
“We remember him from his time at Toro Rosso when he drove alongside Max. However, it hurt him a lot that at Red Bull, we chose Verstappen and not him.”
The possibility of Sainz joining Red Bull might hinge on Perez’s performance. Perez’s strong start to the season, with three second-place finishes in the first four races, underscores his potential value to the team.
His performance at the Japanese Grand Prix was particularly noteworthy, as he came within a tenth of Max Verstappen’s pole position time.
Despite finishing 12 seconds behind the leader, Perez’s improvement at a circuit where he struggled in 2022 was evident. Marko acknowledged Perez’s current form and suggested that if he continues in this vein, he could be Red Bull’s top choice for 2025.
“It is clear that ‘Checo’ is currently having his best season since he has been with us. If he can keep up these performances, especially qualifying in Japan, then he is definitely the best option for Red Bull in 2025,” he remarked.
“He is a team player and has now realized that his radical approach in terms of setup last year was the wrong one. Now he has a setup much more similar to Max’s.”
Red Bull’s interest in McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri persists.
Despite both drivers securing new contracts, keeping them tied to McLaren until at least the conclusion of 2026 for Norris, Red Bull remains intrigued by their potential. Marko conceded that either Norris or Piastri could be considered as options for Red Bull in the future.
“Norris has at least one contract until 2026, so he is not an option in the short term, nor is Oscar Piastri,” he said. “But both drivers are certainly interesting for us in the future.”
Red Bull may need to seek talent beyond their current driver pool in the future, as Marko emphasized that there is no successor to Max Verstappen.
Marko mentioned French driver Isack Hadjar as a prospect he’s monitoring, asserting that the Red Bull junior would have been leading in Formula 2 if not for unfortunate circumstances.
“There will never be a Verstappen again, at least I don’t see one at the moment. But we always deal with young drivers,” he said. “Isack Hadjar, for example, was simply unlucky in Formula 2 recently, otherwise he would lead the series.”
